The Basketball Tournament- Always a Brave in Illinois Region

[Da Coach]

Final score- Always a Brave 75 Hoopville Warriors 73

Stats- https://thetournament.com/scores/?WH...9%2Fsummary%3F

Always a Brave had trouble scoring for most of the 2nd half and fell behind by 16 points midway through the 4th quarter. AAB made a late run to cut the lead to 8 at 66-58 when the Elam Ending target was set at 74.
The AAB team continued to close until they miraculously tied it at 73-73. Both teams had numerous chances to win, but shot after shot was missed, including several missed free throws by Hoopville Warriors, and a couple missed by AAB. But finally, Marcellus Sommerville scored on a steal/breakaway to win the game 75-73!

Hoopville Warriors were an organized and well coached team. They ran offensive plays on most possessions that lead to a lot of easy baskets, while the offensive struggles continued for Always a Brave until the final 5-6 minutes of the 2nd half. Then they turned up the defense, and outscored Hoopville 17-7 after the target point total was set to win 75-73. One of the most exciting endings I've witnessed.

Sommerville lead Always a Brave with 17, Darrell Brown 13, Nate Kennell 12, and Tony Bennett 10-
https://thetournament.com/scores/?WH...9%2Fsummary%3F

The Always a Brave team will play Jackson TN Underdogs Monday night at 8:00 pm

[Big Mike]

Wow, blown chance after chance and to still come out with a W. Very shocked to say the least!

[LittleBrave]

Not sure about you guys, but I felt like this was a Valley game for 1st place with the tension near the end.
What a thrilling win an fun game despite the numerous missed open 3s.

[Da Coach]

If anyone wants to watch the game again, or just the last 10 minutes, here is the link to the archived video stream on ESPN3

https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/f3915bdb-8af9-4b93-b9ad-f111e3936d4b

[patrick_o'brian]

I watched this on my IPhone from a hotel in Knoxville, TN. I still haven’t settled down. What a game. I think it is now safe to say that Marcellus Sommerville was NOT going to let AAB lose. This is the craziest ending I have seen because for 20 minutes it could have ended at any time. I’ve never experienced anything like that. The UNI game was close, but you knew that was over when the clock ran out. This could have been over after any possession. Then the FTs. Never seen anything like it. So pumped they won, though! Unbelievable!

[Classof77]

That was the wildest, most improbable come from way behind win I have ever seen. When we were down 16, I just thought Father Time had finally caught up to Marcellus, Patrick, and others. Happy to be wrong!! Go BRAVES !!! Let's get another win Monday night.

[bigjimmy]

I still can't believe what I just saw, even though I've now watched it from the Elam ending on for the 3rd time. We were down 72-59and somehow came back and won. Hoopville really deserved to win the game but it was just like Blutto said in Animals House. "Was it over when the German's bombed Pearl Harbor, HELL NO!" Hoopville missed their last 12 shots and 4 FT's and had 8 turnovers, Now we had some of those misses and turnovers too but we kept coming and DB hit his first 3 of the game to tie it up at 73-73. Both teams had chances to win until Sommerville mad a breakaway layup off a great pass by DB for the win! We were 30-83 from the field, 12-41 from 3, numbers that will have to get a lot better if we expect to advance.

[Tommy]

Not sure about you guys, but I felt like this was a Valley game for 1st place with the tension near the end.
What a thrilling win an fun game despite the numerous missed open 3s.

Dead on, LittleBrave! Reminiscent of the 2019 MVC Championship comeback! Just as exciting!

[LittleBrave]

Dead on, LittleBrave! Reminiscent of the 2019 MVC Championship comeback! Just as exciting!

Yes sir! My emotions were quite different when reflecting on both those games. I actually shed a few tears after our 2019 comeback to win vs UNI in St Lou - never expected us to even make the Championship game, let alone come from behind, sparked by the most unlikely Luqman!
Then Last night my hands were shaking like in shock at what I had witnessed after I belted out a scream heard round the hood.

I’m with many of you who have expressed that this game was unmatched to any we’d seen before, and glad to be part of it with you all! (Even if just watching it from home in Chitown)

[LittleBrave]

I think this season’s team is special cause we have BU legends from the Sweet 16 team that may be making their last hoorah, and we get to see DB Jr and Nate again, who we never got to see finish their great BU careers at the NCAA tourney a year ago due to Covid.
Perhaps we even have our Luqman charm for big games!

I think they gel pretty well, but the shots just were not dropping.
Would love to see AW break out next game as he did on Senior night (30 pats) the last time he played at Carver.

[Tommy]

Would love to see AW break out next game as he did on Senior night (30 pats) the last time he played at Carver.

Yeah, AW never got his stoke in this game and either did DB. I have a feeling DB is going to blow up in Monday's game. He always was a very streaky shooter and he seemed to follow up the bad games with really good ones. Let's hope he can carry us to another W!

[Dubl R 1]

What happened to Ryan Richards?

could really use him…. Or Donte.

Would have loved to have Eli

[Tommy]

Or Donte.

Think I read that Donte signed a pro contract which forbid him to play.

[Dubl R 1]

Announcers on TV said Donte was injured.. tweaked something earlier in the week

Idk if that’s correct or not

[Tommy]

Announcers on TV said Donte was injured.. tweaked something earlier in the week

Idk if that’s correct or not

Boy, I hope that's accurate. If this team had Donte, there's no telling what they could do!

Game is posted on my Youtube channel if anyone doesn't have access to ESPN 3 and wanted to see the game. If nothing else, I'd recommend the last 15 minutes or so.